Jean-Claude Turcotte, Former Archbishop of Montreal, Dies at 78

Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte celebrating Mass at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal to celebrate the elevation of Brother André in 2010.

CreditMario Beauregard /Canadian Press,via AP Images

Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, who oversaw the funerals of the hockey great Maurice Richard and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a former prime minister of Canada, during his 22 years as archbishop of Montreal, died on Wednesday in Montreal. He was 78.

His death, after a long illness, was announced by the Archdiocese of Montreal.

Cardinal Turcotte drew headlines in 2008 when he returned his Order of Canada medal to protest the decision to bestow the honor on Dr. Henry Morgentaler, Canada’s most heralded and vilified abortion doctor.

“You make him a national hero while what he defends offends very deeply and causes indignation among a significant portion of the population,” Cardinal Turcotte said. “There are limits, and I have to protest this.”

Jean-Claude Turcotte was born in Montreal on June 26, 1936. He obtained his theology degree at the Grand Seminary of Montreal, was ordained a priest in May 1959 and was appointed bishop of Montreal in June 1982.

In March 1990, Pope John Paul II named him archbishop of Montreal. In 2000, he officiated at the funerals of Mr. Richard and Mr. Trudeau, both at the Notre-Dame Basilica.

Cardinal Turcotte wrote a column for Le Journal de Montreal from 1995 to 2008 and also appeared regularly on radio and television. In 2012, at the age of 75, he was replaced as archbishop of Montreal by Msgr. Christian Lepine.

In 2013, Cardinal Turcotte said he was open to a modernization of the church.

“We have one message, and in this message, there are a certain number of principles which would be difficult to change,” he said, adding, “There have been, perhaps, attitudes which have hardened over the centuries, which should be softened.”

Correction:

An earlier version of this obituary misstated the name of the pope who named Cardinal Turcotte archbishop of Montreal in 1990. He was John Paul II, not Jean-Paul II.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B18 of the New York edition with the headline: Jean-Claude Turcotte, 78, Former Montreal Archbishop. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe